WWE has had it’s fair share of amazing tag teams. Even today, WWE has been trying to give us good tag team contests. While they succeed and fail, depending on the match, they are at least trying to bring tag wrestling back to where it was years ago. At one point, WWE had potentially the best tag team scene in wrestling history. Edge and Christian, The Hardys, The Dudleys, APA, Too Cool, and so many more were present. That didn’t even include teams randomly paired together.
It would be awesome to see this type of tag team scene back in WWE, and we may get it one day. One way to start that run would be to bring in one of those tag teams from the past, and help the world realize what tag wrestling really could be in WWE .
The Dudley Boyz, also known as Team 3D, have basically run roughshod on every tag division they have been part of.
Take a look at some of the gold The Dudleys have collected over the years….
All Japan Pro Wrestling
-World’s Strongest Tag Determination League (2005)
Extreme Championship Wrestling(ECW)
-ECW World Tag Team Championship (8 times)
Hustle
-Hustle Super Tag Team Championship (1 time)
New Japan Pro Wrestling
-IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times)
Squared Circle Wrestling
-2CW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling(TNA)
-NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
-TNA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)
-TNA Tag Team Tournament (2013)
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
-WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)
-World Tag Team Championship (8 times)
-WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
If you count up all the gold, the Dudley Boyz have 25 tag team championships. They have won other tournaments, and have been given awards from PWI and others as the best tag team of the year. They have also won Best Tag Match numerous times as well. TNA is now entering them in the Hall of Fame this month at Bound for Glory. All in all, The Dudleys have done it all. To many, they are the best tag team of all time. That being said, why not have them come back to WWE?
It appears like WWE and the Dudleys could have spoken.
Bully Ray , also known as Bubba Ray, hyped a major announcement heading into TNA’s broadcast last night. After the show concluded, Ray claimed on “The Twita”….
“Despite not winning tonight, me and @TestifyDevon #Team3D have decided to go after 1 of our other favorite sets of Tag titles…stay tuned.”
There was major speculation that both the Dudleys and WWE had spoken around the time Bully’s TNA deal expired. In the past, Bully Ray claimed if Vince McMahon or someone from WWE called him to come back, he’d be there. That alone shows the Dudleys want to go back to WWE. This could be a chance for them to retire with one last run in the company that made them into stars around the world. Both Devon and Bully Ray will be free to go from TNA after Bound for Glory. Bully is actually on a per appearance deal currently while Devon’s deal expires after the event, so the idea is that both will be gone soon.
In 2005, WWE felt that the Dudley Boyz were done. To WWE’s credit, the two were slowing down and not having great matches like the company was used to seeing. WWE decided to not renew their contracts, which left them a chance to become free agents. Later on in 2005, TNA Wrestling managed to snatch them up and they have been with them since, while also making appearances in other organizations. Team 3D as they came to be called ended up become tag team champions and helped TNA build a stellar tag team scene. It seemed that both Bubba Ray and Devon now were back.
Many think that the Dudleys could really be big for WWE, helping the company create a good tag scene while working with younger talent. We can’t say that WWE does not like giving older teams a shot, as WWE had the New Age Outlaws win the tag team titles recently.
If The Outlaws can win the tag titles and come in for a short stint, I don’t see why one of the greatest tag teams of all time could not be part of the company for a while.
Both men are in terrific shape and can be huge for younger talent, while also showing what made them great. The cool part about their style is that it is low impact on them, so they do not do anything they cannot continue doing for a while.
Whether Bully was talking about WWE in his tweet is up in the air. However, many think that the two will end up in WWE and could end up going into the WWE Hall of Fame eventually. Let us hope WWE and the Dudley Boyz have another shot to work together, as many fans would want to see it for sure.
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